Navy Lingo & Slang

0'dark hundred - Pronounced "oh dark". Referring to some point really early in the morning, like 0200 (which would be prounced oh-two-hundred)

0'dark thirty - One half hour after 0'dark hundred (used in the same context as 0'dark hundred)

1MC - One of many communication circuits aboard a ship, this is probably the most widely recognized. When used, it is heard on every external speaker but is not always heard by every crew member, due to the fact that not all spaces have a functioning speaker. However, all crew members are expected to know what is said over the 1MC regardless whether or not it was 'audible'

A:

ABAFT- Further aft, as in "abaft the beam"

ABEAM- Abreast: on a relative bearing of 090 or 270 degrees

ABOARD- On or in a ship or naval station

ACCOMMODATION LADDER- A ladder resembling stairs that is suspended over the side of a ship to facilitate boarding form boats

ADRIFT- Loose from moorings and out of control (applied to anything lost, out of hand, or left lying about)

AFFF- Aqueous film-forming foam for firefighting

AFRTS - (pronounced A-farts) Stands for Armed Forces Radio and Television System

AFT- Toward the stern (not as specific as abaft)

AFTER- That which is farthest aft

AFTERNOON WATCH- the 1200 to 1600 watch

AGROUND- That part of a ship resting on the bottom (a ship "runs aground" or "goes aground")

AHOY- A hail or call for attention, as in "Boat Ahoy"

AIRDALE - A sailor who works on or around aircraft

AIRWING - The aviation detachment on board the ship

ALEE- Downwind

ALL HANDS- The entire ship's company

ALOFT- Generally speaking, any area above the highest deck

ALONGSIDE- By the side of the ship or pier

AMATEUR NIGHT - When the sailors get paid, they take their money and go out. What happens when sailors who are anxious for some R&R get too much money all at once, and have a limited amount of time to spend it

AMIDSHIPS- An indefinite area midway between the bow and the stern: as in "rudder amidships" means that the rubber is in line with he ship's center line

aiguillette

ARG - Amphibious Ready Group

ARI - Alcohol Related Incident

ASMO or ASMO'd - Assignment Memorandum Orders. Mostly issued in boot camp to set a recruit back in training due to poor performance

AYE, AYE - I have heard and understand your command

B:

BlACKSHOE - Non-Aviation enlisted personnel

BLUE NOSE - A Sailor who's crossed either the Arctic or Antarctic circle.

BRIG - Jail

BROWNBAGGER - Permission to live off base. I.E. carries his/her lunch sack to work each day.

BROWNSHOE - Aviation enlisted personnel.

BULKHEAD - The wall.

BZ - Bravo Zulu - "Well Done"

C:

CAPTAIN'S MAST - A formal ceremony for those whom are accused of participating in criminal or unjust activities, usually resulting in various levels of punishment.

CHIT - Request for special permission, used for drawing pay and a form used for requesting leave and liberty. But the term is currently applied to almost any piece of paper from a pass to an official letter requesting some privilege

CHOW - Food

CO - Commanding Officer

COMPTUEX - Composite Training Unit Excercise

CORE - A segment of "A" School training courses that include general knowledge and skills training for their specific rating.

CMC - Command Master Chief

CRANKING - A Sailor working various jobs other then his rate (painting, cleaning, etc.)

D:

DAPA - Drug and alcohol programs advisor

DDG - Guided Missle Destroyer

DECK - The floor.

DEP - Delayed Entry Program

DEPPER - A Sailor Recruit in DEP

DOD - Department of Defense

DON - Department of the Navy

DOR - Disenroll at Own Request, Drop at Own Request. To drop out of a voluntary program such as aviation or submarines

E:

EAOS - End of active obligated service.

EAWS - Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist

ESWS - Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist

F:

FOC'SLE - The forecastle of a ship, commonly seen spelled as foc'sle to reflect the truncated pronunciation used by mariners, is the area where sailors sleep and congregate while off duty. The foc'sle is located in the forward part of the ship, also called the bow, and in front of the main mast. The foc'sle serves as accommodations for regular sailors, while officers of the ship are housed in other areas.

FOD - Foreign Object Damage

FROCKING - term for a commissioned or non-commissioned officer selected for promotion wearing the insignia of the higher grade before the official date of promotion (the "date of rank")

G:

GALLEY - Kitchen

GOAT - "Bill the Goat" is the mascot of the United States Naval Academy.

GOAT LOCKER - The goat locker is a lounge, sleeping area and galley on board a naval vessel which is reserved for the exclusive use of Chief Petty Officers. By tradition, all other personnel, including officers and even the Commanding Officer, must request permission to enter the "Goat Locker".

GQ - General Quarters

H:

HEAD - Bathroom

HELO - Helicopter

HM - Hospital Corpsman

I:

INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEE (IA) - Sailors who have volunteered to fill a Request for Forces billet or a Global War on Terrorism Support Assignment (GSA) PCS orders.

J:

JAG - Judge Advocate General's Corps, legal arm of the United States Navy.

K:

KIDDIE CRUISE - Usually a minimum three day cruise for reservists

KILLER TOMATO - Nickname for those bright orange inflatable target balloonsKING NEPTUNE - Usually the senior "shellback" on the ship, this individual presides over the royal court and the initiation of pollywogs during Crossing the Line ceremonies

NEX - The Navy Exchange - A department store for Navy personnel and their families.

NJP - Non-Judicial Punishment

NKO - Navy Knowledge Only

NUB - Non-Useable Body. A newcomer/newbie who isn’t savvy in the ways of sailors, or on his first tour of duty

O:

OCS - Officer Candidate School

OSCAR - Man Overboard

P:

P-DAYS - Also known as P-Week - P-Days occur when Recruits first arrive at boot camp for processing in.

PHIBRON - Amphibious Squadron

PI - Personal Inspections.

PIR - Pass in Review - "Boot Camp Graduation"

PO - Petty Officer

POD - Plan of the day. An official document issued by a command that states all activities going on that day, from 0000 to 2359. Also contains the Uniform of the Day.POLLYWOG - An individual who has not crossed the Equator, who must go through rituals, that sometimes cross the line to be hazing, to become a shellback. This practice can be traced back hundreds of years and is conducted in many countries Navies across the glove.

PFA - Physical Fitness Assessment

PRT - Physical Readiness Test

PT - Physical Training

Q:

QUACK - Hospital Corpsman

QUARTERS - A gathering of all people in the organization. Quarters can be for the entire command, or just the department, division, or branch. Quarters is used to present awards, pass information, and make every sailor squeeze into their ill-fitting, rarely-worn uniforms at least once a year

R:

RACK - Bed

RAS -This is Replenishment At Sea, and it is how Navy ships resupply and refuel without pulling into port.

RATE - The use of the word "rank" for Navy enlisted personnel is incorrect. The term is "rate." The rating badge is a combination of rate (pay grade) and rating specialty.

RATING- A Sailors job specialty

RDC - Recruit Division Commander "boot camp instructor"

RTC - Recruit Training Command aka Navy boot camp

RESTRICTION - Normally a result of NJP a status where a sailor is required to stay onboard the ship but is able to move about freely. "Our version of grounding a child to the house"

S:

SECNAV - Secretary of the Navy

SHELLBACK - A Sailor earns this title by crossing over the equator.

SIQ - Sick in Quaters.

SR - Sailor Recruit

STRAND - A segment of "A" School training courses which focus more on specialized training requirments for that specific rating.

T:

TAD or TDY - Temporary assigned duty or Temporary Duty

THE ROOF - Flight Deck.

U:

UA - Unauthorized Absence

USNA - United States Naval Academy

V:

VERY WELL - Senior to subordinate acknowledgement

W:

WATCH - Standing Watch - Time spent securing an assigned area, a period of duty, usually of 4 hours duration.

WCS - Work Center Supervisor. The senior chief petty officer (or senior petty officer if no chief is assigned) within the work center is the work center supervisor. The work center supervisor is responsible for the effective operation of the 3-M Systems in his or her work center. The responsibility cannot be delegated to subordinate maintenance personnel. The work center supervisor will receive 3-M Systems training

WESTPAC - While this usually refers to the western Pacific area of operations, it can also refer to a type of deployment in which a unit heads to multiple locations throughout said area. Often used in, "Damn, we just did a six-month WESTPAC, barely got home for a week, and now we're heading out again?"